Becoming a licenced installer?

[whphel]

Since finding this web site and installing my own stove and being self employed as well. I have noticed that it is hard to find an installer that knows as much as I have learned here in the last 2 months (much less a 3 month lead time for installs) what does it take to become a certified stove installer. Are there classes that one would take or is it just knowing codes. I am aware that the bond an licence issues must be different than my current company.

Since I have found this site I have perhaps save many chimny fire of friends and family who just did not know any better and in a couple cases have been able to point out that the old black pipe they have running though there homes could be a recipie for disaster.

I dont know any more than I have learned here (and I have read almost everything on this entire site new and old) and this is an awsone resource. I think that an installer in this area who is willing to go the extra mile and do the job right would be a great benefit in this area.

The company that was going to install my stove did not even concider a block off plate in my exterior chimney which after finding this form is a must for heat loss and saftey.

Any info here would be fantastic.

Thanks John.

 

[webbie]

Welcome to the club! We need more installers....

The basics are this - you, of course, have to deal with your local town in terms of them often wanting some sort of contractor license. Some states require this also - but that has little or nothing to do with wood stoves, that is just red tape in this case.

In terms of learning all the stuff needed for this industry, that one is easy. We have an educational "arm" of our trade org which teaches courses and certifies installers.
http://www.nficertified.org/pages_industry/industry-1.cfm

 

[karl]

There's a lawn and garden shop here, that stopped selling stoves because they couldn't find anyone to install them. They were even offering to pay to get the person certified and then let him keep the the whole install amount. The owner couldn't understand it. He was getting to old to install them himself anymore and he said as bad as unemployment is around, you'd think somebody would love to have a weekend type job that would make them $10,000 or so extra a year.

 

[jtp10181]

Wish we had a shortage out here... I could use a weekend job. Although with my current job that would be considered a conflict of interests I think.

 

[hearthtools]

My problem with keeping GOOD installers is people that can learn the Correct way to install without handholding
Dont want to work that hard
Moving around stoves in not easy on the body
and working on high roofs and in the cold is not for everybody.
then there is dealing with PEOPLE.

 

[webbie]

On the other hand, should I mention that I paid my top installer over 110K a year in the mid-90's?
That was for about 6 month of hard work...all told. He was a sub, so he had to pay for his truck, tools, gas and his helper.....still, between my 110K and the other 100K+ he made doing carpentry jobs and other such stuff, he did (and is still doing) very well. He had one part time employee.

But he did work hard, in the cold and on roofs, etc. etc.

 

[whphel]

Thanks for the links and info. Here in Snohomish county washington there are only a handfull of installers and there all backed up 3 1/2 mo as of right now so it seems like an opportunity to me.